Neatly tucked in the special intersection of the music industry where Hip hop along with its fast-growing offshoots, reside, rapper, Tochi Bedford embodies everything the rap new school signifies and promises. Having just given credence to his four-year journey on his seven-track talent and taste teeming debut EP, Eternal Mob, his more audacious approach that he followed through on the likes of the Santi-assisted Disintegrate and two-part For Real, likely takes that also serve as worthy predecessors for his latest, Outside, a snare-driven cut, lush and emotive like your signature Tochi Bedford cut.
Outside, is everyone’s favorite hashtag these days, following months-long lockdowns in different countries around the world, Bedford banks on its popularity and striking nature for a highly personalized narrative that alludes to introspection now treated to reality. “Yeah, I’m standing outside with a brand new whip like I stole it” a line in the chorus that comes on time and again, though not relatable, speaks to the state of Bedford’s mind, ever abstract but creative in the way it dishes out some of his best work.
More than anything Outside is a heady metaphor that reimagines Tochi Bedford’s intent, alludes to his return, and testifies to the rapid change the world around is undergoing now.